Building Information Modelling (BIM) focuses on generating and exchanging detailed building data through various tools. However, many of these tools lack strong visualization capabilities tailored for diverse stakeholders. This is where Power BI excels—by offering interactive and engaging data visualizations. When combined with Speckle as a data bridge, Power BI becomes a powerful platform for visualizing building information directly from BIM models.
In this article, we’ll demonstrate how to integrate Autodesk Revit, Speckle and Power BI to create dynamic dashboards using a conceptual model.
Creating a Dashboard for Room Utilization
We begin by connecting Revit to Speckle using the Speckle connector for Revit. Our focus is on the Room category, as our dashboard will visualize apartment types, room areas and key compliance indicators.
In Revit, define custom parameters such as:
- Apartment Room Types
- Space Categorization
- Minimum Area Requirement for each room type
Once these parameters are set, we use Power BI’s Speckle connector to import the model data. This data can then be transformed using Power BI’s query editor to suit our visualization goals. For example, by adding custom columns, we can filter and structure room data efficiently.
With Power BI’s visualization tools, we can display key metrics such as room distribution and area usage. Using Measures, we can further enhance these dashboards by including numerical indicators, such as space utilization percentages.
Dashboarding Area Compliance
The second dashboard focuses on verifying room areas against the Minimum Area Requirement parameter set in Revit. We build a query that compares each room’s actual area to its minimum requirement, flagging them as compliant or non-compliant.
This logic is implemented in a custom column, returning True or False values for compliance. These results are then visualized, allowing users to easily identify non-compliant units. The dashboard can be filtered by additional fields such as Building Levels or Apartment Types for deeper insights.
Conclusion
The integration of Autodesk Revit, Speckle, and Power BI unlocks powerful new ways to visualize and interact with building information. Through interactive dashboards, project teams and stakeholders gain critical insights into room utilization and regulatory compliance.
This workflow not only enhances the transparency and accessibility of BIM data but also supports more informed decision-making – ultimately improving project outcomes and operational efficiency.